Hawaii Pacific University
Honolulu, HI · Private · Large city · HPU
Private institution in Honolulu, HI · 2,502 undergraduates · 84% acceptance rate · $59,593 median earnings 10 years after entry.
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $30,5571,740th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $33,0201,408th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $33,0201,344th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $49,9801,471st cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,000884th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $59,593558th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $48,773606th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 41.2%1,470th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 57.2%1,652nd highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 84.5%1,043rd most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1180461st highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 25346th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,502808th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 15.0:11,301st smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 20.0%1,708th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 4 mi (HNL)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EDNov 15
- EANov 15
- RDJan 15
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $45
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 50 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $66,711 | $64,990 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $63,005 | $47,260 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $41,565 | $40,017 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $37,568 | $29,685 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $37,568 | — |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $32,284 | $30,988 |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | $29,685 | $28,055 |
| International/Global StudiesMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $27,476 | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBiological Sciences | bachelors | $25,525 | $20,687 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | — | — |
| AnthropologySocial Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Applied MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- An Alaska Native- / Native Hawaiian-serving Institutionsource
- Founded in 1965source
- Athletic nickname: "Sharks"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Blue and Graysource
- Mascot: Sharky the Sharksource
- Motto: "(Hawaiian)"source
- Formerly known as "Hawaii Pacific College (1965)"source
- Formerly known as "Hawaii Pacific University (1990)"source
- Athletic conference: PacWestsource
- Notable alum: Sarah Palinsource
- Notable alum: Tulsi Gabbardsource
- Notable alum: Christopher Loeaksource
- Notable alum: Akebono Tarōsource
- Notable alum: Vivian Wusource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,821,768 (M $837,485 · W $984,283)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Hawaii Pacific University’s 2,502 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In HI
- University of Hawaii-West OahuKapolei, HI · 2,510 undergrads
- University of Hawaii at HiloHilo, HI · 2,260 undergrads
- Brigham Young University-HawaiiLaie, HI · 2,812 undergrads
- Chaminade University of HonoluluHonolulu, HI · 1,648 undergrads
- University of Hawaii Maui CollegeKahului, HI · 1,635 undergrads
- Pacific Rim Christian UniversityHonolulu, HI · 113 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA · 2,501 undergrads
- George Fox UniversityNewberg, OR · 2,505 undergrads
- Sullivan UniversityLouisville, KY · 2,498 undergrads
- Western New England UniversitySpringfield, MA · 2,508 undergrads
- Columbia Central University-CaguasCaguas, PR · 2,494 undergrads
- Norwich UniversityNorthfield, VT · 2,490 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitehpu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 141644)
- Compare colleges in HIRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in HawaiiEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with University of Hawaii-West OahuSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Hawaii Pacific University vs University of Hawaii-West OahuHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.